CBMT Research and Evidence-Based Practice 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A music therapist notices a conflict between a published research finding and a client's cultural values regarding music. According to EBP principles, what should guide clinical decision-making?
- The research evidence always takes precedence over individual preferences
- Client values and preferences must be integrated with research evidence and clinical expertise (Correct answer)
- Cultural considerations are outside the scope of evidence-based practice
- The therapist's personal experience with similar cultural groups should override published evidence
Correct answer: Client values and preferences must be integrated with research evidence and clinical expertise
EBP explicitly requires integration of research evidence, clinical expertise, AND client values—including cultural background—to make individualized, ethical decisions.
Question 2: In quantitative research, what is a 'control group'?
- A group that receives the most intensive version of the intervention
- A comparison group that does not receive the experimental treatment, used as a baseline (Correct answer)
- A group whose data is used to control for statistical outliers
- A group matched to the treatment group by age and diagnosis
Correct answer: A comparison group that does not receive the experimental treatment, used as a baseline
A control group receives no intervention (or an alternative), allowing researchers to compare outcomes and isolate the effect of the experimental treatment.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST describes 'content validity' of a research instrument?
- The instrument consistently produces the same results over time
- The instrument accurately measures what it claims to measure by covering all relevant domains (Correct answer)
- The instrument correlates well with another established measure of the same construct
- The instrument predicts future behavior or outcomes accurately
Correct answer: The instrument accurately measures what it claims to measure by covering all relevant domains
Content validity is the degree to which a measure adequately samples all relevant aspects of the construct it is designed to assess.
Question 4: A researcher reports a 95% confidence interval of [2.1, 8.4] for a mean difference. What does this mean?
- 95% of participants scored between 2.1 and 8.4
- There is a 95% chance the true population mean difference falls within this range (Correct answer)
- The result was statistically significant at p < 0.05
- The intervention was effective for 95% of participants
Correct answer: There is a 95% chance the true population mean difference falls within this range
A 95% confidence interval means that if the study were repeated many times, 95% of the calculated intervals would contain the true population parameter.
Question 5: What ethical principle requires researchers to maximize benefits and minimize potential harms to participants?
- Autonomy
- Justice
- Beneficence (Correct answer)
- Fidelity
Correct answer: Beneficence
Beneficence obligates researchers to act in participants' best interests by maximizing potential benefits and minimizing risks or harms.
Question 6: Which type of research question is BEST suited to a grounded theory approach?
- Does music therapy reduce depression scores more than pharmacotherapy?
- How do adults with dementia experience music therapy group sessions? (Correct answer)
- What is the prevalence of anxiety disorders among clients referred for music therapy?
- What is the effect size of rhythmic auditory stimulation on gait in Parkinson's disease?
Correct answer: How do adults with dementia experience music therapy group sessions?
Grounded theory is designed to generate theory from data about social processes and experiences, making it ideal for exploring how participants experience music therapy.
Question 7: In single-subject research, what is the purpose of establishing a 'stable baseline'?
- To confirm the participant is improving before treatment begins
- To provide a reliable pre-intervention reference point for comparing treatment effects (Correct answer)
- To demonstrate that the intervention is no longer needed
- To measure generalization of skills across different settings
Correct answer: To provide a reliable pre-intervention reference point for comparing treatment effects
A stable baseline provides a consistent pre-intervention trend line, allowing researchers to clearly detect changes attributable to the intervention.
CBMT Research and Evidence-Based Practice 4
A music therapist notices a conflict between a published research finding and a client's cultural values regarding music.
According to EBP principles, what should guide clinical decision-making?